A touch of antiquity

Last week I had a phone call from someone I’ve known for 25 years or more. She’s a new grandmother and her first grandchild will be christened next month. The reason for her call: the family heirloom christening gown that her father-in-law, husband and two children {amongst others} have worn, was in distress.  Ha! My name came up, as it so often does, on the subject of christening gowns needing this or that.  It most likely goes back to my days of being a smocking and fine needle arts shop owner.  I have both made and repaired a fair number of gowns in my day.

Over the phone I agreed to take a look at the “tiny broken crochet” that she spoke of needing repair, pleading that I may not be able to mend it.  She brought the gown by.  One look told me that it's not crochet in need of repair but a Swiss insertion lace, called entredeau, which has disintegrated.  About 3 inches of the yoke was detached from the skirt. I told her this may be something that I could repair, but I doubted it would look anything like the original, and it would definitely be different in that area.  My friend agreed that would be just fine.  She was happy to just have the 2 parts sewn together in any form, so it will be wearable for the next generation.

I brought it home and I have pondered the 3” hole for days on end now.  I knew I would not be able to match the entredeau because, one it’s a double row, and two, it’s so tiny.  Over the course of the week, I’ve been going through my lace boxes and each time not coming up with a solution.  Today, I contemplated the entredeaux that I do have – a yard here, and two yards there, some white, some ivory – but none seemed suitable and I was wondering if I should try and {heaven forbid} make some, somehow.  All the time I was looking, I was disregarding wider laces, when all of a sudden I spied a decorative Swiss edging lace that, if cut up, might be just the ticket.  And it was!  You can see in the photo that I cut it apart, and used the center mesh part, where the “holes” are offset just like the entredeau in the gown. I did all the stitching by hand, of course, with heirloom denier thread.  However...there is a little “bulk” behind where I sewed, because I didn’t want to trim the lace down too much, lest it fray and fall apart in the course of time.  As it is now, I think it will outlast the dress.

 It is always such a treat to work on someone’s heirloom.  I love thinking about who made the gown – this one, apparently 95 plus years ago – and think back to her life and what the world was like then.  Her stitches are impeccable, every stitch done seemingly effortlessly by hand.  I wonder how many cups of tea she drank while she was stitching?  I had a couple in her memory today.

Stitching that I love

A few posts ago, I was going great guns to make a dress for my great niece’s birthday on July 11. Tonight I made the buttonholes and stitched the hem.  The dress is done - yay!  Today is July 7, so it would seem that I’m right on track…..with one minor major hitch:  even if I package it up tonight and mail it tomorrow, it won’t be in Perth, Western Australia by Monday, or even by {probably} the following Monday.  I could kick myself now for the days when I let other things get in the way of my progress, especially since I cut it out and prepped it to take along as hand work for my trip to South Africa way back in early May.

Instead of kicking myself too much, I must stop and look at this little dress and think what it means:  I accomplished “something smocked” again, which is really awesome!  I also found it’s still a form of stitching I really, really love, love, love!

And happy birthday, precious Rebecca! How can you already be a grown up 3-years old?

Front view - this style can also be a jumper
or pinafore. Since it's winter in Perth now
it may well start out that way and later
become a sundress!

The back crosses over.

Dear Mom

Dear Mom,


This is Mother’s Day weekend.  I’m thinking about you 8,000 miles away.  I’m traveling to see you later this month. I’m experiencing a mix of emotions that vacillate between extreme excitement at spending time with you, and excruciating anxiety about witnessing your deteriorating health firsthand.

When I’m there, I may be faced with the decision of helping you to move to a senior citizen facility because family members are finding it harder to care for you at home. I’m sad and confused about the right thing to do because I’m so far away and I can’t be there to help on a daily basis.

When I came to America at a young carefree age, I never thought ahead to the day when I’d be divorced with limited resources as I, myself, age and feel so helpless about your continued care. Perhaps you knew {not about the divorce but} about the hardships of life, and that is why you were so sad to let me go from Cape Town to Chicago. Yet, you gave me your endorsement and you told me a mother has done her job when she raises independent children who can fly the nest in the same way baby birds do.  Thanks, Mom! Like you, I have now also raised 3 independent children, who have flown far from home, but I can be so proud of them. You taught me so many lessons about good parenting.

Another lesson you taught me was that if I was doing the best I could do, it was good enough for you.  Mom – that was an amazing gift.  I have seen so many parents put undue pressure on their children and perhaps, I did a little more of that than I should have with my own, but I tried to follow your example and let my children know that I love them unconditionally just the way they are  ~  they were, and still are, good enough for me.

I was trying to think of memories we made together, the one thing that stands out over and over again is all the knitting, sewing, embroidery and smocking you taught me. It’s possible that I would have learned some of this later on in my life, but you were always knitting and sewing clothes for your family and made sure I learned the art too.  I had my own knitting needles at the age of four, and I embroidered flowers on a pair of baby bootees that I made when I was in preschool.  You taught me to smock when you found dot transfers in a cabinet when I was about 8 because it was a “dying art.” You gave me my first sewing machine for my 11^th birthday because I was churning out so many Barbie clothes you thought I might be able to sew for myself.  After that I never stopped sewing. You and Dad gave me a fancy Elna for my 21st birthday. You helped me make my wedding gown and all my attendants’ dresses.  Then I made my own children’s smocked suits and dresses.  I taught so many others sewing and smocking skills as well until I stopped abruptly about 4 or 5 years ago.  Mom, this was a precious gift and it formed me into a big part of who I am.  I promise I'm on my way to restructuring my time and priorities so I can have it back in my life.

And Mom – one more thing. You had everything to do with the love of tea in my life.  I can’t remember NOT drinking tea. Every day. Ever. You made teatime a ritual in our home…teapots, tealeaves, tea cosies, tea strainers and beautiful porcelain cups.  I have a special memory of you bringing me lashings of tea when I was in high school, doing homework or studying for an exam. 

Anyway, I’ll see you soon. I’ll bring small projects I’m already planning ~ some knitting and some stitching.  We’ll sit together in the winter sun and catch up. I’m making lists of things I want to ask you that only you will remember. We’ll make time to reminisce. I'll do whatever I can to help you get settled if you move while I'm there.  

And please, if you’re able, will you make me a cup of Five Roses?

I love you forever

XOXO

A New Undertaking

I used to say I had not had a complete day if I had not held a needle and done some sewing. It has been a long time since I spent any time in my sewing room creating much of anything. Today is a landmark day because I hand sewed 15 little pins, starting a new fundraiser to help with the crisis in Japan.  I did something similar last year for Haiti to raise money and it was quite successful {that was my one little sewing burst in the middle of a long drought!}

I'll make more pins as I have time this week, and I'll work on a source to sell them. I will also contact my church about having them send the money through appropriate channels. I need to work on a goal as it helps me to think, "I'm going to make 5 pins every night after work" and then do it.
Swiss batiste left over from a christening gown, buttons, a random spool of red wire, recycled beads, French knots in DMC thread: these were some of the materials I used.  It was a complete day again!